Southwest Florida Reading Festival brings bestselling authorsFort Myers Florist offers lower prices on roses for Valentine’s Day
FORT MYERS Southwest Florida Reading Festival brings bestselling authors Romance is in the air this Valentine’s Day as we look forward to the Southwest Florida Reading Festival taking place in March.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers Florist offers lower prices on roses for Valentine’s Day Valentine’s Day is the busiest day of the year for florists in Southwest Florida, and one florist is offering lower prices on roses.
Tim Aten Knows: Landert Bread rolling out local retail store Landert Bread’s European rolls, bread, cakes and pastries will be available to more Naples area residents starting this month. A wholesale operation for more than 12 years, Naples-based Landert is launching a retail store in Collier County.
the weather authority Isolated rain can impact your Valentine’s Day evening plans The Weather Authority is tracking isolated rain that may impact your Friday or Valentine’s Day outdoor plans.
Ponte Vedra Beach Streaming Now: Gov. DeSantis holds news conference in Ponte Vedra Beach Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is set to hold a news conference in Ponte Vedra Beach.
PORT CHARLOTTE Port Charlotte woman accused of running over man after vandalizing his car with condiments A Port Charlotte woman is accused of vandalizing her ex-boyfriend’s car by throwing eggs and condiments and then running him over with her car.
FORT MYERS Dog rescue in Fort Myers holds fundraiser as founder fights cancer A beloved dog rescue service in Fort Myers is facing uncertainty as its founder, Carey Kendzior, battles cancer.
Woman arrested for stealing $3,400 in goods from Target in Collier County More than 150 items worth thousands of dollars were reportedly stolen from a Target in Collier County. Deputies arrested Kimberly McDonnell, 36, on charges of grand theft.
Egg prices leading to some locals raising their own chickens High egg prices have some people considering raising their own chickens, but it’s not as simple as it sounds.
FORT MYERS BEACH Fort Myers Beach Library to reopen following Hurricane Ian The Fort Myers Beach Library plans to reopen its doors to the public on March 16.
FORT MYERS Save This Life pet microchips closes down For many, protecting your pet is as important as keeping your kids safe.
Rosie, dog lost during I-75 crash, back home with family New information has been released about Rosie, the dog that went missing in a car crash last weekend and was found Wednesday.
Gatorama owner loses finger at feeding show The owner of Gatorama in Palmdale was bitten by one of his gators during a feeding show over the weekend and lost a finger.
WWII Veteran hits 100th birthday milestone Hundreds of people came to celebrate WWII veteran Vernon Nelson’s 100th birthday.
FORT MYERS Southwest Florida Reading Festival brings bestselling authors Romance is in the air this Valentine’s Day as we look forward to the Southwest Florida Reading Festival taking place in March.
FORT MYERS Fort Myers Florist offers lower prices on roses for Valentine’s Day Valentine’s Day is the busiest day of the year for florists in Southwest Florida, and one florist is offering lower prices on roses.
Tim Aten Knows: Landert Bread rolling out local retail store Landert Bread’s European rolls, bread, cakes and pastries will be available to more Naples area residents starting this month. A wholesale operation for more than 12 years, Naples-based Landert is launching a retail store in Collier County.
the weather authority Isolated rain can impact your Valentine’s Day evening plans The Weather Authority is tracking isolated rain that may impact your Friday or Valentine’s Day outdoor plans.
Ponte Vedra Beach Streaming Now: Gov. DeSantis holds news conference in Ponte Vedra Beach Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is set to hold a news conference in Ponte Vedra Beach.
PORT CHARLOTTE Port Charlotte woman accused of running over man after vandalizing his car with condiments A Port Charlotte woman is accused of vandalizing her ex-boyfriend’s car by throwing eggs and condiments and then running him over with her car.
FORT MYERS Dog rescue in Fort Myers holds fundraiser as founder fights cancer A beloved dog rescue service in Fort Myers is facing uncertainty as its founder, Carey Kendzior, battles cancer.
Woman arrested for stealing $3,400 in goods from Target in Collier County More than 150 items worth thousands of dollars were reportedly stolen from a Target in Collier County. Deputies arrested Kimberly McDonnell, 36, on charges of grand theft.
Egg prices leading to some locals raising their own chickens High egg prices have some people considering raising their own chickens, but it’s not as simple as it sounds.
FORT MYERS BEACH Fort Myers Beach Library to reopen following Hurricane Ian The Fort Myers Beach Library plans to reopen its doors to the public on March 16.
FORT MYERS Save This Life pet microchips closes down For many, protecting your pet is as important as keeping your kids safe.
Rosie, dog lost during I-75 crash, back home with family New information has been released about Rosie, the dog that went missing in a car crash last weekend and was found Wednesday.
Gatorama owner loses finger at feeding show The owner of Gatorama in Palmdale was bitten by one of his gators during a feeding show over the weekend and lost a finger.
WWII Veteran hits 100th birthday milestone Hundreds of people came to celebrate WWII veteran Vernon Nelson’s 100th birthday.
MGN NEW YORK (AP) – Now that same-sex marriage is legal nationwide, religious conservatives are focusing on preserving their right to object. Their concerns are for the thousands of faith-based charities, colleges and hospitals that want to hire, fire, serve and set policy according to their religious beliefs, notably that gay relationships are morally wrong. The Republican Party’s 2016 presidential candidates are already campaigning on the issue. And Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker is urging President Barack Obama and the nation’s governors “to join me in reassuring millions of Americans that the government will not force them to participate in activities that violate their deeply held religious beliefs.” The religious liberty fight isn’t about what happens inside the sanctuary. First Amendment protections for worship and clergy are clear. Potential conflicts could arise, however, over religious organizations with some business in the public arena. That category ranges from small religious associations that rent reception halls to the public, to the nation’s massive network of faith-based social service agencies that receive millions of dollars in government grants. Some groups, such as the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, also want protections for individual business owners who consider it immoral to provide benefits for the same-sex spouse of an employee or cater gay weddings. U.S. Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy raised the issue in the majority opinion Friday granting gays the right to marry. He said First Amendment protections are in place for religious objectors, who “may continue to advocate with utmost, sincere conviction that, by divine precepts, same-sex marriage should not be condoned.” But in his dissent, Chief Justice John Roberts predicted a clash ahead between religious freedom and same-sex marriage. He specifically noted the dilemma for religious colleges that provide married student housing, and adoption agencies that won’t place children with gay couples. “There is little doubt that these and similar questions will soon be before this court,” Roberts wrote. Conservative religious groups have for years been on watch for potential clashes over religious liberty and gay rights, and have been lobbying for religious exemptions in statehouses and Congress. But conservative anxieties intensified over an exchange during April’s oral arguments in the gay marriage case between Justice Samuel Alito and Solicitor General Donald Verrilli. Alito noted the high court’s 1983 decision to revoke the tax-exemption of Bob Jones University in South Carolina because it barred interracial dating. Alito asked if the government would take such action against religiously affiliated schools that oppose same-sex marriage. Verrilli said, “It is certainly going to be an issue. I don’t deny that.” Earlier this month, more than 70 Catholic and evangelical educators sent a letter to House Speaker John Boehner and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell urging them to take action to protect conservative religious schools in case of government action to revoke the schools’ nonprofit status. And last week in Congress, Sen. Mike Lee of Utah and Rep. Raul Labrador of Idaho, both Republicans, introduced the First Amendment Defense Act, which would prohibit the federal government from taking action against an institution that opposes same-sex marriage by revoking a tax-exemption or barring them from receiving grants or contracts. Marc Stern, a religious liberty expert and general counsel to the American Jewish Committee, noted that in the three decades since the Bob Jones decision, the IRS hasn’t sought to revoke the tax exemption of another school over discrimination based on race or gender. The Supreme Court decided the Bob Jones case based on a violation of fundamental public policy, not whether the school’s policy was unconstitutional, Stern said. There is no federal law barring discrimination based on sexual orientation. Still, Michael Moreland, a vice dean and professor at Villanova University School of Law, said the concern over losing tax-exempt status is “a real one.” “The fact the majority opinion for the court did mention the religious institutions’ right to engage in advocacy with regard to their views about marriage means I don’t think there’s a rush to confront those problems, but they’re there,” Moreland said. GOP presidential hopefuls are working to keep religious liberty in the forefront. At the Faith and Freedom Coalition conference in Washington last week, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz said, “The IRS will start going after Christian schools, Christian universities, Christian charities” and “any institutions that follow a biblical teaching of marriage.” Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal said, “Hillary Clinton and The Left will now mount an all-out assault on religious freedom.” Jindal last month issued an executive order aiming to protect religious objectors after a House bill on the issue failed. In an Associated Press-GfK poll in April, more than 8 in 10 Republicans said it was more important to protect religious liberties than gay rights. Many gay marriage advocates say the conservative outcry over religious freedom is merely a cover for bias and an attempt to deprive gays of their newly won rights. Elliot Mincberg, a Washington attorney and senior fellow at the liberal People for the American Way, said while some religious exemptions might merit consideration, “the religious right knows a fundraising opportunity when they have one.” But some gay rights supporters say a balance must be struck between religious liberty and protections against discrimination for gays, as religious conservatives’ fear grows about whether their institutions can keep operating under the dramatically new circumstances. Jonathan Rauch, senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, said conservatives “have grounds for concern but not grounds for panic.” “I don’t think the issues are imaginary,” said Rauch, “and we know that because the U.S. solicitor general told us so.”